BIOS
Fiona Parke
Singer
Fiona Parke is a captivating and dynamic pop and jazz singer who breathes new life into classics, imbuing them with an elegant sensuality that resonates deeply with the soul. Even her interpretations of pop songs carry a jazzy or Latin jazz vibe, adding a unique flair to each performance.
Fiona began singing professionally at 18 years of age while studying for her Arts and Law degrees at the Australian National University. Since then, Fiona has entertained audiences for over 15 years, singing at countless weddings and balls, as well as in piano bars, fine dining restaurants and other live music venues.
Fiona was the lead vocalist for a range of bands in Canberra, including the band that was Canberra's premier professional big band, Big Boss Groove. The big band played at many high-end private functions, including balls and weddings. She was also lead vocalist for the Canberra City Band's 20-piece big band, Spectrum. In addition, she sang regularly in smaller ensembles, in piano bars and at fine dining restaurants.
Fiona took a break from singing to focus on her legal career and raising her family. She relocated to Brisbane and was delighted to resume her singing career there in 2023. She is currently lead vocalist of 16-piece big band BSB Swing as well as Fiona Parke & the Cool Cats.
Fiona enjoys bringing originality to her interpretation of classic songs, and making them fresh, contemporary and relevant to the Australian context.
Dylan Russell
GUITAR (freelance)
Dylan Russell is highly accomplished and versatile guitarist from Brisbane who specialises in jazz, pop and rock.
Dylan has performed around Queensland in a variety of settings, with some highlight performances including those at the Brisbane Jazz Club, Townsville Jazz Festival, Northern Fringe Festival, North Australian Festival of Arts, Beatles Unplugged QLD/NSW theatre tour, and several stints with P&O Cruises.
Dylan is also an active composer/arranger and holds a Bachelor of Music with Distinction from Central Queensland University.
Kate Gillespie
BASS (freelance)
Kate graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 2016, where she studied Jazz Bass Performance.
Kate has performed at various venues around Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Some highlights of Kate's career thus far, include touring Queensland with Troy Cassar-Daley and James Morrison, performing in concert with Lea Salonga (Broadway star from Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and singing voice of Mulan and Jasmin from Aladin) and playing in the show band and Blue Room on board the P&O Pacific Encounter.
Joshua Batka
drums (freelance)
Joshua's passion for the drum-set was fully ignited when, at 15 years of age, he was asked to fill in as the drummer for his high school big band. Since his humble beginnings, he has developed into a consistently exciting and engaging jazz drummer who has been rapidly establishing himself as a skilled freelancer as well as an educator within the city of Brisbane.
Joshua is a young musician who has had the good fortune to have been mentored by some of Australia's finest national and international jazz musicians, such as illustrious musicians Darryn Farrugia, John Parker, Paul Hudson, James Whiting, Steven Newcomb, James Sandon and John Hoffman.
Joshua is currently continuing his studies at the esteemed Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University and performs with the Conservatorium's premier big band, The Con Artists. He also performs with up-and-coming and established jazz and pop musicians within Brisbane at a range of venues, including nationally-recognised venues such as Doo-Bop, The Brisbane Jazz Club and the Star Casino.
To further satisfy his yearning to learn, Joshua is looking forward to travelling to New York in the future, to continue his jazz education by studying for a Master of Music Performance degree at the Manhattan School of Music.